


Unfinished Works

by midnightoasis



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:19:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2451053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightoasis/pseuds/midnightoasis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically I've been filing through my documents and found a whole bunch of unfinished works. I don't know if I will finish them, but I do know that I'm going to post it here because it needs to go somewhere and I don't want to get rid of them. Also, because if I post them, I'll be able to focus on the current fics I'm working on without feeling bad about the ones that I haven't finished. I'm literally just posting whatever I have, so it might skip to different scenes and may not make sense but that's how I write and it's probably too complicated to enjoy. Sorry. </p><p>Aka: In which I haven't finished anything, but you're getting them anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Maybe I'm Elvis

**Author's Note:**

> Finn can't sing. 
> 
> Or, in the extended (but not shown here) version, Rae figures out that Finn isn't as perfect as she thought and they frick frack in the bathroom. Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" style.

Finn is shit at singing.

  
He knows this, and accepts it wholeheartedly. You can try with all your might to make him sing a tune and all you'd get in return is a laugh and a _fuck that, mate_. Maybe a glare if he's feeling grumpy.

  
The only place Finn Nelson will ever be caught dead belting his lungs out is in the shower. His safe haven; his temple. The one place he can just let it all go. When the hot water beats down on his back, he can be whoever he wants to be. Bowie, Ian Brown, even fucking Elvis if he felt like curling his lips and swaying his hips.

  
(Not that he's ever pretended to be Elvis because his music isn't really Finn's cup of tea but sometimes he works the shampoo in his hair to mimic the King's 'do because, let's be honest. His hair is a work of art.)

  
Only one person has ever heard him sing. His dad. And that's only because he lives with the guy. If anyone knew his secret, they'd never let him live it down. Piss will be taken. Buildings will burn. Relationships will be left in shattered pieces on the ground.

  
Under no circumstances is anyone allowed to hear him sing.

  
Ever.

  
-

  
Apparently, Rae never got that memo.

  
-

  
It's the day before camping and he's just gotten off the phone with Chop. There were still a few minor details they'd needed to work out with the caravan and Finn was fretting about whether or not everything would be ready in time.

  
"How much candles is too much candles?"

  
"Dunno, mate."

  
"Alright, do the fairy lights work, then?"

  
"Didn't turn 'em on yet."

  
"Do you know anything, Chop?"

  
"I know a lot of things about a lot of things."

  
"Do they have anything to do with the caravan being ready for tomorrow?"

  
"Look, it'll be peachy, lad. There's no such thing as too much candles and I'm sure as fuck the fairy lights work. I just bought 'em. Relax for a mo' and let good old Chop do his business, yeah?"

"I'm trusting you, mate. If things stuff up tomorrow, I'm gonna blame you."

  
"Don't you worry! I got this in the bag, Finny boy. You and Rae are gonna be in heaven once you step foot into that baby maker."

  
"Thanks, Chop. Listen, I owe you one, yeah?"

  
"Fuck that! You owe me twenty!"

  
"Laters!"

  
Needless to say the conversation didn't settle any of Finn's worry. If anything, it just raised it to proper anxiety levels.

  
He wanted this to be perfect. Rae was world class and he needed this "love caravan", as Chop had put it, to be able to take Rae's breath away. He wanted her wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the sight of it. He wanted their first time together to be the best. Award winning, even.

  
Perfection was an absolute must.

  
However, Chop was starting to make Finn think that it might be anything but. Sure, he was grateful that Chop had been able to get the caravan on such short notice but he was paying for it. In fact, he was paying for a lot of the camping stuff that they'd need. Like, food and booze and four beach chairs because no one wanted to sit on the fucking ground. Chop (being the caring, thoughtful sod he was) would have bought the condoms but he'd forgotten that he'd been kicked out of the shop last time for openly staring at the cashier's tits.

  
The wanker.

  
"Fucking Chop," Finn scoffed. He ran his fingers over the paper in his hand, studying his checklist for the caravan, then sighing as he placed it back on top of his desk.

  
It was another hour before he'd have to go and meet the gang down at The Swan so he figured he'd take a shower first, wash away his nerves.


	2. Aviation High (the unfinished chapter I promised would be done a month ago)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn is a nervous wreck, and Rae gets left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I kept promising that this chapter of Aviation High would be finished, like, two months ago maybe? And, I know, I suck. But here's what I have for that new chapter so far? Forgive me?

Finn breathes out a sigh once he's through, leans his back against the door. He can hear the soft, muffled sounds of Rae talking to Izzy on the other side, the music too loud for him to make out any words.

  
After everything that's happened tonight, he feels himself beginning to slow down, become exhausted. It wasn't enough that he made himself look like a complete idiot when he sputtered that nonsense about liking Weezer, but then he had to go and spout shit about what he learned in health class. What the fuck was he even doing? They had health together! They learned the same damned thing! It was cringeworthy, at best, and Rae had looked at him like he had two fucking heads. This night was not going how he wanted.  
First, she shows up, which he wasn't expecting at all. He knows she doesn't like him, she's made that clear on more than one occasion (and, sure, that's mostly his fault because he's shit with words and none of them come out right when she's near him), but then, she gets into that bout with Luke, and, okay. He actually didn't mind giving the kid some shit for being a wanker, mostly because Luke was the biggest fucking wanker. But he knew if he had walked away, Luke would've just kept spitting and arguing with her until they were both red in the face. Stepping in was definitely the best thing to do in that situation, no matter how much he knew Rae could have handled herself.   
He tried to start a conversation with her after Luke changed the song, to apologize for the hassle she had to deal with, or to just- talk to her. Proper talk. With actual words that actually made sense. He thought it would have been easy until-

  
Until he saw her. She had these pretty green-hazel eyes, her hair was kind of all over the place, she had sweat clinging to her skin that Finn could only just see in the dim light of the lounge, and. She looked beautiful. Gorgeous, really, and Finn hated how unfair that was.

  
The bass from the music downstairs vibrated the walls, tingling his fingertips as he pressed his palms flat against the guest room door, slowly pulling him out of his own thoughts. There was some sort of shuffling coming from the other side of the door and Finn decided he wouldn't be able to handle another awkward encounter with Rae, so he started down the hall and descended the stair.

  
"Finn!"

  
A familiar voice rang out over the music, Finn making a face immediately. He turns to see Stacey Stringfellow sauntering over to him from the kitchen, a can of Fosters in her hand. He furrowed his brows.

  
"Hey, Stace." he says. "Alright?"

  
"Good, yeah." she smiles brightly, her eyes sparkling with intoxication. "How you are you, handsome?"

  
-

  
"Rae, please just-" Chloe squeezes Rae's hands in her own. "If my mum asks, which I doubt she will, tell her I'm going to be spending the night at yours?"

  
"Chloe, I really don't think you should go." Rae tries to pull her closer, to get her to stop moving a mile a second because she's talking fast and her words are flying and Rae can barely make out the soft lines of Chloe's face in the dark. "How am I going to get home?"

  
"Archie? Chris?" Chloe says as she releases herself from Rae's grasp, shrugging her shoulders before spinning on her heels and breaking out into a half jog. "I'm sure they won't mind!"

  
Chloe doesn't wait for Rae to argue, is halfway to a car Rae doesn't recognize with a guy she doesn't know before a response even forms. It could be that she's had a lot to drink, or that he's not facing her, but no matter how hard Rae squints to see him, his face doesn't come to light.

  
"Bloody bullocks," she hisses, her agitation at her best mate rising as she watches the car speed down the dark street. "This is great, this is fucking marvelous, is what this is."

  
Rae sighs deeply, runs her hands over her face and palms roughly at her eyes. The party is still going, the music louder than it was an hour ago and she's not tempted to go back inside to find Archie. It'd be hell to even try.

  
There's more people out here, too. A group of lads laughing drunkenly with each other near one of the hedges in the front, a cluster of girls crowded by the door. If she's being honest, she doesn't really feel like trying to squeeze past them to get through anyway. That's another kind of hell she doesn't wish to endure. She sits herself down on the sidewalk, palms digging into the rough concrete to steady her balance. Aside from the wind whistling through the trees, the sounds of the party goers, and the music vibrating through the house, Rae feels this quiet wash over her as she stares into the distance. 


	3. Oath (a childhood au)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rae moves in next door, and then Chloe, and Finn's life is ultimately better for it. (Until something happens and he doesn't know how to process his own thoughts.)
> 
> Aka: Rae, Finn, and Chloe are childhood bestfriends and when Rae's insecurities take her over, Finn and Chloe only get to see her on weekends, and Wednesday afternoons after her scars heal. They meet the gang, later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally long time ago, an anon asked me to do a chilhood au. I've neglected it for so long now and I'm so so SO sorry that I haven't even posted a first chapter. I'm going to try and work on it. I can't promise, though. I'm sorry :/

Finn is eight when he meets Rae. She's just moved in to the house next door and his mum places a freshly baked cherry pie in his hands, tells him to go knock on the nice neighbor's door to say "welcome".

  
It's heavy in his little arms and it smells way too good for some strangers that he doesn't know but he trudges across his lawn and onto theirs anyway.

  
When he knocks on the door, it's only a few impatient taps of his foot until it swings open. There's a mess of raven hair and green eyes staring back at him and Finn shoves the pie into her arms, running off without a word. He trips over his own shoes and almost ends up face first in the dirt but he steadies himself before he does.

  
Back in the comfort of his own house, he catches his breath and wipes his dirty hands on his shirt because his mum doesn't like when he touches things in the house after he's been outside; there are fingerprint stains from that time he fell in the mud a week ago and he'd forgotten about it when he leaned against the wall so he could take off his shoes. (Needless to say his mum had a right fit about it.)

  
In the kitchen, Finn hops up onto one of the stools situated around the nook and looks up at his mum breathlessly, tells her that _yes_ he gave the neighbors the pie and _no_ he didn't make a new friend.

  
But that _no_ becomes a _yes_ days later when Finn's playing in his yard. He's lying on his back as the sun beams down over him, melting away the last of winter's chill. He doesn't hear Rae approach until he's in the middle of narrating a very interesting fight between King Kong and Superman and she clears her throat. In a fit of surprise, the gorilla slips from Finn's fingers and lands with a thwack! on his face, one of the hands poking him in the eye.

  
"King Kong would lose to Superman, y'know." she says, ignoring Finn's annoyed grunts of pain and folding her arms across her chest. "Superman is so much cooler than a monkey."

  
Finn groans and sits up, palming his sore eye in hopes that it will stop the throbbing. "He's not a monkey. And anyway, what if the King threw cryptonite at Superman's face? What then?"

  
"Pretty sure Superman knows how to duck, genuis." Rae smiles down at him and then, "Thanks for the pie. I don't like cherry but my mum says I should be thankful anyway."

  
Finn blinks up at her, grinning, and they're off.

  
He learns that her favorite pie is actually apple and she'd pick Wonderwoman over Superman any day. Her mum got a new job at the bank in Licolnshire and that's why they moved. Finn finds that he likes Rae even though she teases him about having a King Kong doll and he likes that she makes him laugh.

  
(They become inseparable after that, never without the other. Mrs. Earl makes him biscuits and tea whenever he's over and gushes about how handsome he is and he eats it up, from the chocolate to the Oh, Finn, you're going to break hearts one day. He doesn't know exactly what that means but says thank you around a mouthful of sweets nonetheless.)

  
-

  
They meet Chloe at the age of nine (nine and a half, Rae would argue) when the Thompson's from across the street retire and set off to Brighton, the Gemmel's moving van rolling up the driveway not soon after. Rae and Finn are sitting on one of the thicker branches of the tree in her front yard when Finn spots a little girl bounding out from the passenger side, little pigtails waving about as she jumps up and down excitedly.

  
"Hey," Finn whispers. "Look."

  
Rae peeks out over the top of the comic book Finn let her borrow and gives their new neighbors a quizzical once over.

  
"Reckon we should go say hi?" she narrows her eyes. "D'you think she's sound or what?"

  
"Dunno. Mum's probably going to make me go anyway." Finn sighs and lowers himself back so that he's hanging upsidedown, his shirt over his head. Rae pokes at his knees and laughs when he starts yelling at her to stop because he _could die, Rae, quit it._

  
"You're alright," Rae pokes at him one last time and then she says, far away, "I sort of want to be her friend."

  
"Why'd you wanna do something like that, then?" Finn feels the lightheadedness as the blood rushes to his brain, fast and throbbing.

  
"She seems alright," Rae shrugs. "Don't think she'd run off after she gives me pie."

  
"Oi! Let it go, will you?" Finn holds his arms out and wiggles his hands so that Rae will help him up. When the world is right side up again, he folds his arms. "And anyway, if you want to be friends with her then just go."

  
"Don't be mad," she sighs, "We'll still be best mates, yeah?"

  
Finn's not pouting, nor is he mad about a new girl coming to steal his best friend away. He's not, he's not, _he's not_.

  
"I'm not mad," Finn rolls his eyes and feels small all of a sudden. Cold where the sun doesn't touch him. "Don't be stupid, Rae."

  
"Finnley," Rae gives him the look, the one where her eyebrows turn up and her bottom lip juts out. She calls it the puppy dog look but Finn just calls it the "this is the face I make when I want something and I know you're going to give it to me" look. She pulls it all the time with her mum and mostly it doesn't work on her but Finn always loses to the downturn of her lips.

  
"Sometimes I hate you." he mumbles quietly, carefully scooting towards the ladder at the bulk of the tree. "If she likes Barbies over Superman, I'm never talking to you again."  
"Fair enough. I'd never talk to me again either."

  
The thing is, Chloe does like barbies but she also likes Captain America so Finn forgives her for it. Rae bumps her shoulder against his with a smug grin and he huffs out an agitated "Whatever," but she just beams at him, goes on to talk to Chloe about something he figures only makes sense to girls.

  
It's awkward at first, Chloe tries to get Finn to play with Pet Doctor Barbie and he shakes his head hard because he doesn't want to and it's difficult to talk to her like he does with Rae but over time they quickly become a trio of best friends and Finn doesn't even care when he finds a Malibu Barbie under his bed a few months later. He just sets it on his dresser and ties his Superman cape around the little doll's neck.

  
-

  
11am on a Saturday morning, a few weeks after Rae's 10th birthday, she and Finn talk animatedly about a new comic that was supposed to be coming out soon. An 11 year old girl gains superpowers after some freak accident and saves the world again and again with her sidekick; A boy around the same age who can read minds.

  
"Yeah, but-" Rae starts, furrows her brows. "Why do you get to read minds? That's not fair!"

  
"Oi, you have, like, every other superpower there is." Finn laughs at Rae's pout, pokes her cheek with his finger until she stops and then starts to list off powers on his fingers. "Flying, superstrength... And what's that one where they can move things with their mind?"

  
"Tele-" Rae closes her mouth and Finn can see her cogs working, trying to figure out what it was called. They've heard it before, he knows, but it's lost to both him and Rae for the moment. "I don't remember."

  
"Well, anyway," Finn says, brushing it off, "You have that one, too. I only get to read minds. That's so boring compared to flying. Imagine if you could fly, Rae. That'd be so ace. You'd never need a car."

  
"Yeah, I guess you have a point." she smiles winningly at him. "That would be pretty cool."

  
"Told ya," Finn sighs, as if it were a job to convince Rae that being a sidekick who could read minds was, in fact, not better than being a main character who could practically do everything else. He yawns and stretches, lays himself out on her bed and reaches for one of Chloe's dolls that have somehow made residence on Rae's bedside desk. "Didn't Chlo say she was coming over, like, an hour ago?"

  
Rae shrugs and gets up from the bed, shuffles over to the bookshelf that her mum kitty-cornered on the opposite side of her room. Finn's suddenly reminded about the Daylight Cruiser she'd let him borrow a week ago and he goes to tell her he'll bring it back later before a familiar knock on the door stops him. The rhythmic knocking continues until Rae giggles and says, "Password, please?"

  
Finn smiles as Chloe shouts, "Eat Vegemite!"

  
"We need a new password," he says, laughing along with Rae. Chloe bursts through and throws herself onto Rae's bed next to Finn, slightly lifting her upper body up so that she can put her chin in both of her hands, her feet dangling off the edge of the mattress.

  
Finn reaches out to tug on her plait, laughing when Chloe shoots him a glare.

  
"You're late," he says, turning to face her, crossing his legs when he does. "Why are you breathing so hard?"

  
"Did you run all the way here?" Rae asks, sitting down on the other side of Finn. "Your cheeks are really red, Chlo."

  
"Nevermind that," Chloe huffs, waves them away with a flick of her hand, still catching her breath. "Do you guys trust me?"

  
Finn glances at Rae who widens her eyes in response, confusion coloring both of their faces.

  
"What you talking about?" Rae's eyes lift in question.

  
"Do you," Chloe sits up. "Trust me?"

  
"Suppose so," Finn shrugs, still not sure as to what is happening. He figures he'll find out soon enough. Chloe's always banging on about random things so this really isn't anything new (neither is that feeling he gets when she starts off on one of her rants, like he's been transported to a different place and hasn't got a clue to what she's talking about, doesn't even know if she's speaking English, her words leave her mouth so fast sometimes.)

  
Rae blinks.

  
"Why?"

  
"Get up and stand over there, yeah?" Chloe nods her head to the open space of Rae's room. "I wanna try something?"

  
Rae looks over at Finn and he lifts one shoulder, crawls over Rae's outstretched legs and stands in the center of the room. Chloe nods at Rae to do the same and while heaving a sigh, she gets up and joins Finn, nudging her elbow in his side.

  
"Alright, now," Chloe instructs, "I think... Finn. You stand behind Rae. Go on."

  
As Finn does what Chloe says, he shifts so that Rae is now in front of him. She's taller by only a bit so he has to peek his head out to the side to be able to see Chloe again.

  
"Okay. Now, hold your arms out like this." Chloe raises her arms in front of her, palms up. "Rae, you put yours out to the side. Like a bird."

  
"Are you serious?" Rae giggles, giving Chloe a skeptical look and Chloe just rolls her eyes, says, "Yes, I'm serious. Just do it, alright?"

  
Rae casts a glance over at Finn and he's still got no clue what's happening but he smiles small and wraps both of his hands around Rae's wrists anyway, lifting them up to the position Chloe wants. Finn's learned that an ignored Chloe is a Chloe he doesn't ever want to mess with. Ever.

  
"Okay," she grins, planting her feet firmly on the ground before walking over to them. Her finger taps her chin contemplatively. Once she's satisfied with their positions, Chloe ignores their impatient sighs and claps excitedly. "On my count, Rae is gonna fall back and you're gonna catch her. Alright, Finn?"

  
"What?" Rae shoots her an incredulous look. "Why?"

  
"It's called a 'trust fall', Rae!" Chloe shakes her head, her high-pitched voice rising higher still, on the edge of exasperation. "You trust Finn to catch you, Finn trusts me to direct you, and I trust you to follow my directions."

  
"You ran to my house to tell me to fall?"

  
"No, I ran here to see if you trust me."

  
"Chloe, can't we just- I dunno, read or play-"

  
"Rae, it's either you trust me," she says each word deliberately, "Or you don't. If you do, you'll fall back and Finn will catch you."

  
He watches their exchange silently, wide eyes flicking back and forth between the two with a sort of nervous curiosity. He's not sure why Chloe's so set on them doing this, and if he's being honest, he'd really rather just run around and play in the yard but he waits anyway. His arms starting to hurt from holding them up for so long.

  
Rae turns back to look at him, eyes questioning.

  
"You'll catch me right?"

  
Finn smiles encouragingly, says, "Don't be daft, 'course I will."

  
And it's as if that's all she needs.

  
"Okay," Rae says. Her voice shakes and she shifts nervously for a second. Two seconds, three seconds, four, and at the same time she's about to let herself go, Chloe shouts, "Wait!" and everything screams to a halt.

  
Finn jumps at Chloe's outburst, shoots her a look like, "Seriously, Chlo?" so he doesn't really see Rae lose her footing. She inhales a sharp gasp, staggers back with her arms flailing and before Finn can catch her, she slams into his chest so hard it knocks the wind out of him. He tries to stop their fall but he lands on his back and Rae follows, her right arm extended behind her in her own attempt to catch herself. When she hits the floor, she's half on top of Finn and his legs hurt from where she lands but all he registers is the loud snap from her wrist as her palm hits the floor and the cry that escapes from Rae's mouth immediately after.

  
She rolls herself over, clutches her hand to her chest as a sob builds up in her throat and tears through her.

  
"Rae!" Finn sits up and crouches down next to Rae, careful not to touch her for fear that he might make it worse. "Rae, what happened? What broke?"

  
"Oh my god," Chloe's hands come up to cover her mouth as her shoulders shake. "Oh my god."

  
He can see the pain on Rae's face, can hear it in the way her cries grow louder, more desperate for it to stop. He starts to panic, then. He's never broken a bone before, doesn't know what it feels like or how to deal with something like this and with the way Rae's face is turning red, tears streaming out the corners of her eyes, he's more scared than he's ever been in his entire life.

  
"Chloe, what do we do?!" his voice cuts through the air like a knife, panic panic panic.

  
She's frozen for a solid few seconds and when Finn calls her name again, she starts. "Mrs. Earl!" she screams, runs over to Rae's bedroom door so Rae's mum can hear her shouting. "Rae's hurt! It's really bad!"

  
When Mrs. Earl runs up the steps, Rae is hysterical and Finn's trying to calm her down so she doesn't suffocate herself from crying so hard. He moves to the side to get out of the way as Rae's mum shushes her, smoothing some hair away from her sweat damp forehead.

  
"You two go on home," Mrs. Earl says, coaxing Rae to sit up so she can further examine her already swollen wrist. "I have to take Rae to hospital."

  
"Can I come?" Finn asks, shaken to the core. "Is she gonna okay, Mrs. Earl?"

  
"I think it best if you both went on home," and then softer now as she clocks both Chloe's and Finn's expressions. "She'll be fine, darlings, don't worry. Come on, now."  
She pulls Rae up so she can walk on her own and ushers everyone out of the front door once she's got her handbag nestled in the crook of her elbow, her other arm wrapped securely around Rae's shoulders. Finn and Chloe watch them drive away until the car is no longer in sight. 


	4. Cheesecake?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Finn owns his own restaurant, Archie is his Executive Sous chef, Izzy's the saucier, Chloe's the Patissier, and Chop is the apprentice. Rae is the food critic that will either make or break Finn's business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that one time I binge-watched movies that revolve around food and went, "Hey, what if Finn was a chef and Rae was a critic and after she gave them a bad review, Finn marched down to her office and Rae told him she could take him to five restaurants better than his and they went on a food adventure/competition to see who had better taste"? Yeah, well. I couldn't help myself.

Finn carefully cracked the soft boiled egg into a small glass bowl, furrowing his brow as some of the egg white slipped away from the yolk. Somewhere nearby an order was being read out loud. Finn nodded his head once and without looking up, he said, "Archie, prep the lamb?"

  
“Yes, Chef.” Archie said politely as he passed, a plate of hors d’oeuvres resting on his hand.

  
Finn normally had Tom on hors d’oeuvres but he’d called in yesterday to say that he was flying out for his late Aunt’s celebration of life anniversary, which Finn had obviously not wanted to keep him from. Archie knew the recipes, as he was only second in command to Finn, so he hadn’t been worried. He regarded the manchego-stuffed dates with approval, noting the detail his Sous Chef had given to the presentation of the dish.

  
As Archie handed the plate to Mitch so he could serve it, Finn went back to gently cracking the egg, letting the perfectly cooked egg sit on his fingers instead of putting it in the bowl with the other.

  
“Chop?” he said, reaching out for the square plate in front of him. He’d already spooned the pumpkin puree down onto the center of the plate and spread it out to create a bed for the pork to sit nicely on.

  
“Yes, Chef?” Chop pounced over to Finn and smiled toothily, his tongue pushed up against the gap between his two front teeth. His enthusiasm always made Finn relax under the constant pressure of being the best at what he did and he was thankful, more often than not, for his presence.

  
“How’s that pork coming?”

  
“Sliced and ready for you, Chef.”

  
Finn breathed easy as Chop took the pork he’d been searing and quickly lay the 5 slices down onto the pumpkin puree, nodding at the impressive pink color in the center. Chop was just an aquaintence they’d hired to clean up after them but he had quickly proved himself to be useful in something more than just a broom and a scrubber. Finn had been teaching him some recipes and how to cook beyond the basics for weeks. Seeing it now, he realized just how much Chop had learned from him.

  
"Anything else I can do for you?" Chop wiped his hands on the dish towel tucked into his apron pocket, awaiting Finn's orders.

  
"No, that's about it." Finn shook his head, gave a grateful smile, and went back to concentrating on the placement of the food. "Thank you."

  
He set the egg on top of the pork and began to arrange the toasted slices of bread he had standing by against it so it created a sort of tent and wiped his hands on his apron before tossing some baby arugula and thinly Julienned red onions with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper in.

  
Tonight was an important night for Nelson, for Finn in particular. A well-known critic was due to show up any minute now and Finn had been anxious since the moment he woke up. The review of this critic could make or break the business that Finn had spent his entire life dreaming about, that had been handed down to him by his father when he'd turned 25, a family tradition that went back numerous generations. He spent his childhood running around in the dining room and hiding under tables. Climbing up on the counters and dipping his fingers into the melted chocolate to see if it was any good. Nelson was more his home than his own apartment was and he'd fight to keep it alive.

  
The critic hadn't shown up yet, much to Finn's surprise, as he thought all world-renowned critics were particular about timing. Being that they judge on how fast a restaurant's service is and how long it takes for their meal to get to their table and all. He didn't mind much, at first. He was a relatively calm person who worked well under pressure, but the air in the kitchen seemed charged and as he looked around, his staff reflected everything that whirred within him.

  
"I heard she's real tough on new chefs." Izzy fretted from her station, adding a pinch of freshly chopped rosemary to the sauce she was preparing, a bit of her fire colored hair peeking out from under the white headband. "Like, proper harsh on her reviews and that."

  
"She shut down a restaurant after her last review," Chloe called from the station next to Izzy's. She had powdered sugar dusting her apron and Finn could see the chocolate mousse from where he stood. "She said that their paella was the worst she'd ever eaten and that it tasted like what sewers smell like."

  
"Jesus," Izzy's face paled for a second before her eyes flicked back to Finn and she composed herself, giving him an apologetic smile, knowing full well that he was the one with the most pressure on his shoulders. "Sorry."

  
"Don't be," Finn tried to ease up the tension, but there was no doubt he was really starting to feel the weight of the night bearing down on him. "I know she's got a reputation for being a hard arse... but that just means we gotta be the best, yeah?"

  
"Right." Chloe nodded, expertly drizzling a thick red sauce down over the mousse and wiping around the rim of the plate with a clean cloth. She pointed out a finger at Izzy and raised her eyebrow before saying, "Which we are, by the way."

  
"Getting ahead of ourselves," Archie smirked as he prepped the lamb carefully, his eyes sparkling with mirth when Chloe scoffed, curling her lip at him.

  
"Are you questioning your own work?" Chloe said, "Or ours?"

  
"Nope," he laughed, loving how defensive Chloe got when she was under pressure. "Just saying that being humble gets a person a lot farther than being big-headed does."

  
"That's not what I meant and you know it," Chloe rolled her eyes, and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a flatsheet pan from the top shelf.

  
"Yeah, I know."

  
"Alright you two," Finn shook his head, making his way over to Archie so he could sear the lamb. "Focus. Critic should be here soon and I don't need my staff arguing right now. Doesn't exactly instill confidence, you know?"

  
"Sorry," Archie smiled at the back of Finn's head when he stopped at Mike's station to taste the shrimp gratin that had been ordered. Chloe stuck her tongue out at Archie and he grinned as she placed a dollop of meringue on the chocolate mousse, the corners of her mouth quirked up in an attempt to hide her smile.


	5. "You're going to have to do better than that."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or, the one in which Rae and Chloe are fashion designers and own their own company. Finn is the douchey son of World Renowned designer Vincent Nelson and acts like it. Archie's family owns the cafe down the street from R&C, Izzy is their receptionist, and Chop is Finn's rich friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, this whole fic is based on that one time I was walking around Jeans Warehouse and found a dress with a tag that said "Rachel and Chloe" on it.

Rae snipped the last piece of stray thread off of the wedding dress. She studied it closely, noting all of the pins strategically placed in the areas that had to be taken in for the bride. She was quite curvier than the average woman. The metaphor "shaped like an hourglass" popped into Rae's mind from time to time while she measured her.

  
It was a beautiful design. The plunging sweetheart neckline, bodice made of silk covered in white lace all the way down to the waistline. In the back, pearls were sewn in to make the zipper disappear and the skirt and train were made of the same silk that flowed elegantly to the floor. In Rae's honest opinion, it was one of Chloe's best designs. Simple, but amazingly done.

As she circled around the mannequin, a door opened behind her. With it came the sweet, familiar scent of Chanel perfume. Rae turned to see Chloe with her arms full of sketchbooks.

  
"Hiya," she smiled. "Just doing a last minute inspection. It's coming along great, isn't it?"

  
"Yeah," Chloe said, setting down her heavy load and flicking some hair over her shoulder. "It would, if Angelica would stop wanting to add things to it. She says she wants to add a purple ribbon, which. Okay, that's fine, right?"

  
Rae nodded, knowing that Chloe was nowhere near finished with her rant.

  
"But she also wants to add a slit." she pinched the bridge of her nose and placed her other hand on her hip. "We can't add a slit, Rae, because it'll throw off the train. I told her this as delicately as I could and she still insisted!"

  
"Well," Rae's eyes wandered over to the dress, trying to imagine it the way the bride wanted. There was no way they could add a slit to the dress without it looking like a complete mess. The ribbon, fine, yeah. They could do that. But- "I don't see how adding the slit could work."

  
"I know!"

  
"Maybe she's just having second thoughts because the dress isn't finished yet." Rae said, watching as her best mate perch herself on the sewing table. "Once we get it done and fitted, she'll see it and it'll be alright, yeah?"

  
Chloe sighed, sucked her lips into her mouth. A habit of hers that Rae believed to be something she'd do whenever she was distressed.

  
"Okay," she said after a bit, and then as if to convince herself, "Okay."

  
"Good." Rae made her voice stern. "We'll work on the dress, finish it, and if she still wants the slit, we'll add it. It's not our wedding gown. We shouldn't worry."

  
"No, you're right. I guess it's because I just had this vision in my head of how it was supposed to look."

  
"I understand," Rae nodded, placed a sympathetic hand on Chloe's shoulder. "But, listen. It'll look beautiful no matter what Angelica wants."

  
"Thanks," Chloe smiled up at Rae. "We should get to work on the shoes, though. She wants to see it tomorrow."

  
"Alright."

  
They went to work on the heels. Angelica wanted them to mirror the bodice and Rae had aready done the lace two days ago. All that was left to do was add the pearls so, Chloe wandered out of the room to get supplies. As Rae prepared her needle, she could hear the hustle and bustle of the street outside and smiled widely, the noise of the background like a soundtrack for her to work to.

  
-

  
2pm rolled around quickly, Rae and Chloe having finished both shoes before their usual lunch break. Chloe decided to embellish the bodice to the wedding dress with the Swarovski Crystals Angelica had her eyes on just a few days prior, while Rae chatted to their receptionist Izzy about meetings and appointments for the upcoming days and the following week.

  
Five years ago, Rae would have never pictured herself here. Five years ago, she and Chloe had been living in a rundown flat in a building she was sure should have been condemned, her car only had three windows, and she had no idea how she was going to pay rent. After Uni, everything seemed to spiral out of control. Not being able to find work had been this sort of disappointment that Rae felt all the way down in the deepest parts of herself, a failure that burned with every rejection she'd received.

  
Now, she was part owner of R&C, a small but successful design studio, she owned one of the two suites in her building, her car was paid off, and her life was finally on track. Things were falling into place.

  
Rae smiled to herself as she exited through the front doors of R&C, waving to a few workers on her way out.

 

  
"Lunch break, Ms. Earl?" Nikki called out over her portfolio as she passed. She wore a floral dress that stopped mid-thigh, black velvet heels that Rae recognized to be one from their collection, and her light hair had been tousled to perfection. Rae gave her a fond smile and said, "Out for a coffee run! Fancy a brew?"

  
"I'm alright, thanks." Nikki shook her head politely, and then grinned knowingly. "Tell Archie I said hello!"

  
"I will." Rae laughed.

  
Nikki disappeared into the building and Rae threw on her leather jacket, the spring air still holding some leftover chill from winter. 


	6. Patchwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...He could swear there were traces of her scent lingering between the vinyls at the record store. That mix between a new book and fresh lavender. She always smelled that way in the mornings, and then it would fade into a slight cinnamon scent as the hours dragged on, like a fall day or some soppy shit like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly just started writing this after I watched episode 5 again, without anything in mind. I don't know what it turned into.

He's a patchwork kid, made up of innocence and lust and everything in between all sewn into a loosely knit throw, frayed and coming apart at the seams. He supposes it was just a matter of time, really. Rae had worn him down until everything was nothing and he was just a pile of yarn and thread. He thinks he might have survived if he had learned how to walk before he ran.

  
Olivia kisses like she can fix him, and he wishes her tongue knew how to lap up the mess he made with his heart instead of the mess he made on himself. He thinks maybe if he eats her cunt with his eyes closed, he can pretend it's Rae. But the difference is always there, like a nagging reminder. Too much negative space, too much of nothing. Rae's thighs are soft, supple to touch, whereas Olivia's are toned and the valley between them doesn't feel like anything he wants to get to know. She's skin and fragile bones but if he just tilts his head and keeps his hands away, he can pretend. Olivia thinks she can mend him, but there's nothing she can do when he turns in the sheets after everything's done and bites his lip in an attempt to keep Rae's name from leaving his mouth (it just sits and waits until Olivia's asleep, and then it's the last thing he says before the night takes him).

  
It always seems like a good idea in his head, the push and pull of limbs, the heat and the high. It always seems like it might solve his problems while he's in it, but when it's gone there's nothing again, and the hole in his chest carves out more emptiness. That's something he knows is inevitable but he does it anyway because pain is a beautiful form of punishment he's learned to love in the last few weeks. He likes the pain, revels in the twisting in his gut because at least he feels _something_ , which is always better than nothing. He takes what he can get, and gives just as good.

  
Chloe tries, and Finn would rather she didn't, but sometimes it's nice to feel wanted. He's a patchwork kid and there's a line of stitches that keep _lust_ and _passion_ sewn together and Chloe touches his skin like they're burned into her fingerprints. He feels the fire and the ice all at once, the desire in her eyes and the ache in her lips and he obliges with a heavy sigh. This is what it's like to be him, now. There's a hole in his chest and it get's filled every time someone licks into his mouth. It's a sweet surrender.

  
Her mouth always tasted like candy, and maybe it's the gloss making his head feel detached from his body, but Finn remembers that he was attracted to her once, before Rae ever made her way into his life. He remembers that fumbled kiss up Rutland Waters, the soft pads of her fingers working him to climax. Chloe was a virgin, then, he could tell. She wasn't sure how tight she could squeeze or how fast to pump. So he showed her, with his own hand covering hers, whispering things of encouragement. They fall down that rabbit hole once again, but this time Chloe knows how to wrap a fist around him and Finn knows how Chloe looks when he fucks her until she's seeing stars.

  
Archie knows what he's doing, so Finn avoids him until it's time. If he's being honest with himself (which he hardly ever is anymore), he needs Archie to punch some sense into him, make him see what he's doing so he can stop. But Archie was never about fists, he was always about words and _using_ them. Finn was shit at that. They'd make a good team if Archie could stand to be around him for more than five minutes.

  
Chop corners him one day, asks why he's been missing in action for weeks on end. Finn can tell he's not asking because he cares about what he gets up to on his nights out; he's asking because Rae's been missing, too. Busy with Liam, Finn supposes. He's not blind to the rumors that have been going around college.

  
Izzy's always cared for him like a brother, and the looks she gives him now hurt him more than anything Archie could ever say to him. She doesn't even have to say anything in order for him to feel that disappointment in her eyes, the seething anger just under her skin. He wonders how Rae crawled under everyone's skin and made them all care for her faster than he could even blink.

  
They all defend her, too, which is okay. Someone has to. He would, but no one asks him about her anymore. They've stopped trying. There're no questions of "why" or "what happened", not because they don't want to know, but because he's stopped answering them altogether. Stopped going to college, stopped going to the pub. The whole of Stamford reminds Finn of her. _Kissed her under that streetlight_ , and, _gave her a mix tape at that crosswalk_. And he could swear there were traces of her scent lingering between the vinyls at the record store. That mix between a new book and fresh lavender. She always smelled that way in the mornings, and then it would fade into a slight cinnamon scent as the hours dragged on, like a fall day or some soppy shit like that. God, was he always this wrapped around her finger?


	7. "I said I'd be 'round at 8:30"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn takes Rae to school on his scooter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this so long ago, I don't even know where I was going to go with it. I think it was an After Episode 7 au where Finn takes Rae to school on his scooter but I didn't get that far :/

Finn waited for a bit before heading out to pick up Rae, checking his hair in the mirror for the millionth time since he'd woken up and fluffing his fingers through it to make sure it looked perfectly messy. It wasn't really cooperating with him like it normally did. Nothing he'd done seem to make it look it better than the last time he touched it.

  
"For fuck's sake," he sighed, silently cursing his stupid bedhead for making it damn near impossible to look good at 8 in the bloody morning. After five minutes of tugging and pulling, he decided to just leave it alone because, "That's as good as it's probably gonna get."

  
He checked the clock on the wall and watched as the seconds ticked by. One, two, three. It was 8:04. He said he'd be around at 8:30 and he new he was being eager but the jittery feeling in his stomach wouldn't stop. Not since he'd last seen her, which was a day and a half ago (his mind won't let him forget) so he grabbed the keys to his scooter off his desk, took his helmet from the coat rack near his door, and raced down the stairs.

  
His dad sat at their kitchen counter with a brew and the morning paper, eyes shooting up to give Finn a dazzling smile before saying, "A little early, son, yeah? Sit down, have a cup of tea first."

  
"Come on, dad. I said I'd be 'round at 8:30, you know how long it takes to get to her house." Finn rushed over to wrap an arm around his dad's shoulders, reached out to grab an apple from the basket of fruits in front of them and said, "Tea when I get home? Promise I won't complain about how sweet you make it!"

  
"Yeah, alright." Mr. Nelson waved his son away with a fond roll of his eyes and Finn threw a grin over his shoulder, bit into his apple, and made his way outside toward his scooter.

  
-  
Rae was already waiting for him when he pulled up to her house. The early morning light showered her beautifully and her eyes shined as she watched him turn off his scooter.

"You're early," she said, smiling as she approached him. “It’s only, like, eight-twenty.”

  
“Yeah, well,” Finn shrugged, throwing his leg up and over the seat so he could walk around and pull her into his arms. “I could say the same to you. Can’t wait to get to college, aye?”

  
Rae laughed, the sound like a blessing that washed over all of Finn’s senses, sending a shiver down his spine.

  
"Not really," she wrapped her arms around his neck, locking her fingers as she spoke. "Couldn't wait to see you, more like."

  
"Feeling's mutual."

  
Finn leaned forward and captured her bottom lip between his teeth, revelling in the excited gasp it elicited. Rae's hands went to the back of his neck and even though it was nearing winter, wherever she touched him Finn felt the burn of her skin against his, like fire biting at the nape of his neck, the corner of his jaw just under his ear. Everything was warm and familiar and new all at the same time. He'd known what she felt like under him. He'd known what angle to thrust gently at for Rae to cuss and scratch, leave marks on his chest. But it was also new because they were starting over again. They were never here before.

  
"Are you ready?" Finn pulled away from her lips and laughed at the little pout she gave him. "You have college to get to, girl."

  
"Still can't believe you're not coming with," she said, shaking her head at him. "It would be so much better with you there."

  
"You've got the gang," Finn took his helmet off the seat and handing it to Rae, saying, "I left the extra one at home, forgot to put it on the back like last time."

  
"Thanks," Rae grinned widely, turning the helmet around in her hands to put it on the right way. "I know I've got Archie and Chloe and Izzy... but they're not you, are they? You understand."

  
"I reckon if you give them the chance, they'll understand too." 


	8. "Bella giovane amore!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rae and Finn get lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An anon gave me a prompt a while ago to write a fic where Rae and Finn get lost, and what better place to get lost in that Italy?

They take a left on Calle Tron instead of the right on Frezzaria just a little ways down. Calle Tron takes them across Rio Orseolo, though they were told by Chloe to keep following Frezzaria, which would have taken them to Harry's Bar where they were supposed to meet the rest of the gang.

  
"You know we're gonna get lost, don't ya?" Rae says, squinting at Finn as she watches him watch the birds flying overhead. Venice may be an island, and they may have maps tucked into their pockets, but there are roads they don't know and turns they've never taken. It'd be easy for them to end up a world away.

  
Finn brings his gaze down to meet Rae's and smiles, rubs small circles over the back of her hand with his thumb. "That was the plan," he says, and then, "We're with the gang every moment of every day. I'd like to see Venice with you without Archie bangin' on about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire."

  
"I guess I wouldn't mind that," she hides a smirk by burying her face into Finn's shoulder, then turns her head sideways to say, "Archie does ramble on a good bit."

  
"He does." Finn nods in agreement.

  
It's high noon, the sun dancing in the sky with a passion so intense, Rae wonders how anyone gets anything done in heat this bad. Luckily for them, she packed specifically for this kind of weather. Finn's got the sleeves to his favorite henley rolled up so his arms are exposed to the warmth, and Rae's sun dress billows around her bare thighs as a bit of breeze caresses her skin, blows gently through her hair. Two years ago she would have died walking around Italy in a leather jacket and leggings, and even though she still wears them (as if they were the only clothes she owned) Rae's not as worried about her scars being seen as she would have been back then. She relishes in the way the sun kisses her shoulders, trails down the backs of her calves. She's worked hard to feel good in her own skin (and her rewards since then have been never ending).

  
"I like this dress on you," Finn tugs lightly at the pocket on her hip. "Have I told you?"

  
"You've told me you liked the dress," she shakes her head, stifling a giggle. "Just not on me."

  
"I will admit it looks better on the floor." Finn winks, presses his lips softly to the corner of her mouth. "Like all of our clothes do."

  
Rae rolls her eyes fondly and leads them along the Fiubera. The sun is blocked by the buildings, a forest of wood and stone surrounding them as they amble down the cobblestone road. An elderly woman waves at the two from her balcony overlooking the street, says, "Bella giovane amore!" and Rae throws a smile up at her, not having the slightest clue to what it means.

  
Finn gets it though, thanks to Archie's English to Italian dictionary he pocketed a few days ago. "Grazie," he calls out, giving a wave to the old woman who then throws down two jasmines, the delicate flowers almost getting carried away by the rush of wind but Finn catches both and pulls Rae to a stop. He slides the stem of one behind her ear along with the bit of hair in the way.

  
"Thanks," she says, the butterflies in her tummy starting to flutter like they always do when Finn gets close. All these years and he still has the power to make her feel like a shot of electricity has been injected in to her, like a drug she'll never tire of. She smiles as her pulse quickens when Finn wraps a gentle hand around her wrist. "What'd she say?"

  
"Beautiful young love," he pauses briefly between each word, twisting and threading Rae's fingers with his own, stepping close enough so their noses touch.

  
It's extremely romantic, Venice. The people, the atmosphere, the music that seems to follow them as they walk along the river. Finn's romantic all by himself, without the help of floating flowers and historical buildings, but the country enhances everything he does and Rae can't help but stare at him as they walk hand in hand.

  
-

  
They end up getting lost, just like Rae said they would, like Finn wanted them to. They stumble upon a bookstore called Libreria Acqua Alta, this little shop wedged between two buildings overflowing with cats. It's filled to the brim with books (all in Italian) and they would have missed it entirely if it weren't for the dozens of cats that littered the sidewalk.  
Rae wanders into the little shop and picks the first book she sees, just for the hell of it. It's a black, leather-bound hard cover with no words on it except for the Roman numeral II at the bottom of the spine. She pays for it without so much as flipping it open.

  
It takes them an hour to find their way back to Harry's Bar, having taken too many wrong turns and crossing bridges that lead them farther and farther away from their destination. The sun's already started it's descent into the horizon when they spot Chop leaning against the building, a half-smoked cigarette hanging from his lips.

  
"Oi, Chopper!" Rae laughs as they approach, startling him. "How's Italy treatin' you?"

  
"Where th'fuck have you two been?" he shakes his head, putting out his cig on the underside of his shoe. "You missed dinner you knob'eads."

  
"Sight-seeing of sorts," Finn shrugs. "No big deal, we got some nosh a while back."

  
"Sight-seeing," Chop repeats, eyeing them through a suspicious squint before apparently deciding he doesn't really care about where they were because they're here now. "Whatever, come on, then. There's two pints with your names on it waiting for you inside."

 

When they get it, they're greeted by a tipsy Archie who's got his glasses off and a dopey grin plastered all over his face. His cheeks are as red as red can be and his hair's a mess, like someone had ruffled it one too many times. Chloe's a little more sober, but she hiccups almost every three seconds, and Izzy smiles brightly at them as they sit.

  
"Where've you been?" she asks, her eyes glossy. They land on the flower in Rae's hair and the one sitting nicely on Finn's ear, her smile turning gooey. "Those are _so_ pretty!"

  
"Here," Rae takes her out, frowns at the wilting petals, but takes a last sniff for the memory, and reaches out to place it in Izzy's bun. The contrast between the flower and Izzy's hair makes Rae's heart lift, and she can't help but peck her on the cheek. "Beautiful!"

  
Finn laughs into Rae's shoulder, eyes wandering over to Chloe as her hiccup causes her to groan loudly, her face in her hand, elbow on the table. Without even a second thought, he pinches the stem to the flower in his ear and holds it out for Chloe to take. She smiles softly at him, and then at Rae, and it's so much different from all her other smiles. This one's genuine, and Rae silently thanks Italy for all the happiness Chloe has felt for the last few days.

  
"Alright, fuckers," Chop burps, holds up his glass. "To Italy. To the rest of this holiday, and to you fine folk, for being the only ones who'd ever agree to go overseas with me."

  
"To us," Archie nods, clinking his pint with Chop's, "May we survive the rest of this trip."

  
A chorus erupts from the gang and Rae's barely swallowed her beer before Finn's lips are on hers, his mouth seeking out every bit of her own.

 

 


End file.
